Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

The Life of Faith. 48T fern him while it was day, John 9.4. And (hall Idlenefs be ex cured in us? even in us whomutt be judged according to our works, Rev. 22. Iz. Mark.133.34. by him that bathcommand- edevery man his work i? Yca when we arc redeemed and pu- -ri6ed to be z-alous ofgoodworks, Titus 2, 14. and are bit worst manJbip created to goodworks in Chrift, which God bath ordain- ed, that we fhould malkin them, Ephef, 2. Io. 4. When men make a great matter ofall their labour ; and of that which to a diligent man is (mall. The fluggard hath his thorn hedge ,and a Lion in thema)+, Prov.22.13.& 26.13,15,16. But the diligent fay, when they have donc their befl, We are unprofitable Jervants : Nothing is fo weary to them as unpro- fitable idlenefs (except hurtful wickcdnefs.) They think hill, O how (port is time ! and how much work is yet undone ! And as every faithful Minifter in his calling, is never fo well pleafcd, as when he doth molt for the good of fouls ; fo is it with every faithful Cbriftian in his place. A Candle if it be not. burnt, is loft, and good for nothing. 5. The idleSodomite bath a mind whichfoloweth the affeftions of his body : And as loon as his body is a little weary, bit mind is fo too, and fuffcreth the wearinefs of the body to pre- vail : Becanfe the Beth is King within them. Nay a fl,tbful mind doth oft begin, and they are weary to look upon their work, or to thinkof it, before it bath wcaryed the body at all : And what they do, they do unwillingly ; bccaufc they arc in love withWieners, Mal. i. 13. But the lowly and laborious are in lovewith diligence andwork: and therefore though they can- not avoid the wearynefs of the body, their willing minds will carry on the body as far as it can well go. The diligent woman srorketb willingly witb ber bands ; ber candle goeth not out by night, &c. Prov. 31. 13, &c. Servants mull do fervice with good will, as to the Lord, Ephef. 6. 7. If Minifiets preach and la- bour willingly, they bave a reward, 1 Cor. 9. 17. But not if they arc only driven on by necefry, and the fear ofwoe, 1 Pet. 5, z. What (hall we do willingly, ifnot our duties ? He that ftn- etb willingly, and fervetb God, and followeth his labour uwi'.. ingly, (hailbe rewarded according to his will. 6. The idle Sodomite doth love and chuf that kind of life which is eafrft, and hath leafl work to be d( mi. This is the PPP chitf

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